Paul's PWC Float Set-Up for Spearfishing

  • Not trying to be a jerk, check the crimp job on the shooting line at the front of the gun. It doesn't look like it was properly crimped with a good quality crimper - could be a weak link in your setup. I suggest unclipping the float from the waverunner when you start diving. Otherwise you will probably find yourself wanting to go a little farther only to hit the end of the line. Also, if you happen to run into a great fish when you don't expect it, you'll want him to be able to run if necessary.

  • Not trying to be a jerk, check the crimp job on the shooting line at the front of the gun. It doesn't look like it was properly crimped with a good quality crimper - could be a weak link in your setup. I suggest unclipping the float from the waverunner when you start diving. Otherwise you will probably find yourself wanting to go a little farther only to hit the end of the line. Also, if you happen to run into a great fish when you don't expect it, you'll want him to be able to run if necessary.


    I will take another look at the crimping job - I'm self-taught and I've never had any of my crimps fail me, either with mono or SS cable. I do use a crimping tool that my LDS said was the best for the job. Do you have a website reference for showing ideal/proper crimping that you can share?


    I used to keep the float on the water when I dove down, but this causes a few problems.
    1) We have stiff trades nearly every day. 20+ knots. My float gets blown downwind pretty quickly, and as I dive down, I find that I'm fighting resistance from the float and float line once I get past 30-40 feet. When the float is kept overhead, then there is no resistance when I go down and back up.
    2) It creates a temptation to stray from my PWC if I see a hole or structure that I want to take a closer look at. The places that I typically dive at are rather dangerous and if I were to not be able to make it back to my PWC, I would most certainly die. I made a personal rule to always stick very close to the PWC. Remaining attached to it via my gun works very well.
    3) Many times I will drop down to 100+ and by the time i make it back up, my PWC is already over 100' away and pulling due tot he wind/swell action. I don't want to build up CO2 chasing it down. By having my floatline attached to float at the PWC, I can simply pull myself back to the pwc using my hands. This also slows down, and sometimes even halts my pwc.
    4) I can also "steer" it to a degree via pulling on my float line from the back by changing the pwc angle in the wind to follow a ledge or ridge.
    5) By keeping my float attached to the PWC and forcing my "guests" (I get a lot of guys flying to Hawaii for vacation and wanting to dive with me) to run a float line to my PWC, I can better supervise them and make sure they're not wandering off or getting too far downwind of the PWC like they would otherwise do.
    6) Regarding a "great fish", by having the float right at the rescue sled enables me to quickly get to work on deploying the rescue sled as a secondary float once I get the Fox Float off since I'll be right there and I know I have 300' of stretch to play with. Should I manage to plug a 1,000+ pound billfish, I can quickly unclip the secondary from the rescue sled and directly to the front of the PWC and use the entire PWC as my secondary float.


    I thought about it long and hard, spent over a year trying out both methods and determined that this is what works the best for me in these waters. Keep the feedback coming. :cool2:


    -Paul

  • How does that fox float works for you? they look nice.


    Best damn float ever. I've owned several - Mako, Riffe, the typical hawaiian lifeguard can, homemade floats, walmart specials...


    It rules. Mine was a prototype and the only thing I don't like about it was that I was dumb enough to install the flag mount near the front on the top of the float. When the float is released, if it's rough and windy enough, the wind will blow the front of the float downwind quickly, and then as soon as a little chop lifts the back, it tips the float right over. I should have had the flag installed in the middle of the float.


    Other than that, it rules.


    There is one other float that I also really like and only started playing with yesterday. It's a completely different animal and not something I would want to use as my primary float though. I'll start a thread about it... I probably should put it on the main forum here...


    Here we go. http://spearfishing.world/gene…-freediving-spearing.html


    -Paul

    Edited 3 times, last by Paul ().

  • Paul


    How easy/difficult is it to attach your sled to the ski when you launch it? do you place the sled in the back of a truck and simply hook it up to the ski when launching? a ski around here in south Florida would be great for quick launching and doing some diving since we don't have to go far, I dont usually dive solo, but, there are times when there is no one around to dive and the urge becomes overwhelming and a ski would be perfect, mount a depth/fish finder, clip your float to the ski and dive shallow water for snappers just for dinner would be great...although one problem is that it can get super hot here in the summer and you would get scorched with no shade.

  • Paul


    How easy/difficult is it to attach your sled to the ski when you launch it? do you place the sled in the back of a truck and simply hook it up to the ski when launching? a ski around here in south Florida would be great for quick launching and doing some diving since we don't have to go far, I dont usually dive solo, but, there are times when there is no one around to dive and the urge becomes overwhelming and a ski would be perfect, mount a depth/fish finder, clip your float to the ski and dive shallow water for snappers just for dinner would be great...although one problem is that it can get super hot here in the summer and you would get scorched with no shade.


    I strap my gun into the sled bungee, clip it off, then throw the sled in the back of the truck. Throw float and bag in, hook up pwc and drive the 2 blocks to the boat ramp. :D


    Back up pwc to near the water, remove sled, attach sled at 3 points (two bungees on both sides and the main quick release tab in center), put dive bag under bungees, clip it off, clip float to my dive bag (muy importante), strap float under a bungee, then back PWC into water.


    Park truck.


    Go ride.


    I should try taking a video of the process... Probably going out tomorrow after work. Will try to remember to.



    The only real problem with this in Hawaii is that PWC's are banned almost everywhere in Hawaii (tourists would fly over, rent them and run into each other and over other tourists). Almost every time I go out, I am breaking the law and I hate that, especially as a role model/teacher for the future generation. The Department of Land Resources is a joke here - zero enforcement so I don't worry about getting into any trouble. I want the law changed though as the tourist on PWC issue has been taken of with a separate law targeting the rental companies already, and all non-rental users are required to attend a course and be certified to operate one. This weeds out all the idiots and noobs. Been fighting this fight for a while now with the gov't.


    Nevertheless, I plan to sell it after this winter's big-wave tow in season and get myself a boat. I'd be so screwed if I shot a 1000+ pound marlin 30 miles offshore. So far I've been lucky that I've been able to fit all of my fish on my sled... :thumbsup2:


    -Paul

  • Paul haven't been on a Jet Ski since my Kawasaki 440 :@ which I broached and flooded off shore and later
    recovered from the Coast Guard, so it's been a while .:D


    I have seen some huge PWC around the last few years, how big do they get before DLR in Hawaii classifies the craft as a boat if you know. Thanks in advance.


    Cheers, Don Paul

    "Great mother ocean brought forth all life, it is my eternal home'' Don Berry from Blue Water Hunters.


    Spearfishing Store the freediving and spearfishing equipment specialists.

  • :laughing3:



    None of them qualify as boats here in Hawaii. The cut-off size is 14 feet, and the biggest PWC made to date, the 4-seat Yamaha SUV measures in at 12 feet and 6 inches. No longer in production either.




    It's a GREAT ski. Toss the old 2-stroke motor, put in a modern 4-stroke MR-1 motor like the one in mine for outstanding reliablity/mileage and you would have the best diving platforms out there. You can fit spearguns into both sides of the hull. Hell, you could probably sleep two in either side of the hull. Quite amazing.



    -Paul

  • Thanks Paul, There is a 2000 with 100 hs in my local area for 4k. I'm boat less this year, that SUV would be cool with a T-top and gun rack. :thumbsup2:


    Cheers, Don

    "Great mother ocean brought forth all life, it is my eternal home'' Don Berry from Blue Water Hunters.


    Spearfishing Store the freediving and spearfishing equipment specialists.

  • Thanks Paul, There is a 2000 with 100 hs in my local area for 4k. I'm boat less this year, that SUV would be cool with a T-top and gun rack. :thumbsup2:


    Cheers, Don


    :cool2:
    If it just comes with an average trailer and not much else, I wouldn't be surprised if you could manage to get it for 3k cash. Just point out that the modern FXHO's can be had for 4-5k in southern CA these days...


    -Paul

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